Presentation: Ad Achkar

Inequality Of Happiness And Life Satisfaction

The pursuit of happiness has a long history as a primary political end in Western political thought.

Along with traditional economic indicators, policy makers are increasingly concerned with the subjective well-being of a society as a measure for its success.

What is happiness inequality?

And how does well-being inequality impact life satisfaction and happiness?

Happiness inequality is the psychological parallel to income inequality: how much individuals in a society differ in their self-reported happiness levels—or subjective well-being, as happiness is sometimes called by researchers.

Life satisfaction is the way persons evaluate their lives and how they feel about their directions and options for the future rather then the feelings and emotions that are experienced in the moment.According to recent reports, income inequality isn’t the only thing we should be concerned about.“Inequality of well-being provides a better measure of the distribution of welfare than is provided by income and wealth,” assert the World Happiness Report authors, who hail from the University of British Columbia, the London School of Economics, and the Earth Institute.

Since 2012, the World Happiness Report has championed the idea that happiness is a better measure of human welfare than standard indicators like education, good government, wealth or health...

And if that’s the case, it has implications for our conversations about equality, privilege, and fairness in the world.

In Understanding the Pursuit of Happiness in Ten Major Cities, the authors of the urban affairs review stated that is important to understand the nature of happiness and ask what can be done to improve it..

Urban Affairs Review showed that Good Transportation, beautiful clean city, parks, culture, shop, care for children and leisure improve and promote happiness...

Is it a really happy world?

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Figure 2.2: Ranking of Happiness 2013-2015 (Part 1)

1. Denmark (7.526)2. Switzerland (7.509)3. Iceland (7.501)4. Norway (7.498)5. Finland (7.413)6. Canada (7.404)7. Netherlands (7.339)8. New Zealand (7.334)9. Australia (7.313)10. Sweden (7.291)11. Israel (7.267)12. Austria (7.119)13. United States (7.104)14. Costa Rica (7.087)15. Puerto Rico (7.039)16. Germany (6.994)17. Brazil (6.952)18. Belgium (6.929)19. Ireland (6.907)20. Luxembourg (6.871)21. Mexico (6.778)22. Singapore (6.739)23. United Kingdom (6.725)24. Chile (6.705)25. Panama (6.701)26. Argentina (6.650)27. Czech Republic (6.596)28. United Arab Emirates (6.573)29. Uruguay (6.545)30. Malta (6.488)31. Colombia (6.481)32. France (6.478)33. Thailand (6.474)34. Saudi Arabia (6.379)35. Taiwan (6.379)36. Qatar (6.375)37. Spain (6.361)38. Algeria (6.355)39. Guatemala (6.324)40. Suriname (6.269)41. Kuwait (6.239)42. Bahrain (6.218)43. Trinidad and Tobago (6.168)44. Venezuela (6.084)45. Slovakia (6.078)46. El Salvador (6.068)47. Malaysia (6.005)48. Nicaragua (5.992)49. Uzbekistan (5.987)50. Italy (5.977)51. Ecuador (5.976)52. Belize (5.956)53. Japan (5.921)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Explained by: GDP per capita

Explained by: social support

Explained by: healthy life expectancy

Explained by: freedom to make life choices

Explained by: generosity

Explained by: perceptions of corruption

Dystopia (2.33) + residual

95% confidence interval

W O R L D H A P P I N E S S R E P O R T 2 0 1 6 | U P D AT E

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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

54. Kazakhstan (5.919)55. Moldova (5.897)56. Russia (5.856)57. Poland (5.835)58. South Korea (5.835)59. Bolivia (5.822)60. Lithuania (5.813)61. Belarus (5.802)62. North Cyprus (5.771)63. Slovenia (5.768)64. Peru (5.743)65. Turkmenistan (5.658)66. Mauritius (5.648)67. Libya (5.615)68. Latvia (5.560)69. Cyprus (5.546)70. Paraguay (5.538)71. Romania (5.528)72. Estonia (5.517)73. Jamaica (5.510)74. Croatia (5.488)75. Hong Kong (5.458)76. Somalia (5.440)77. Kosovo (5.401)78. Turkey (5.389)79. Indonesia (5.314)80. Jordan (5.303)81. Azerbaijan (5.291)82. Philippines (5.279)83. China (5.245)84. Bhutan (5.196)85. Kyrgyzstan (5.185)86. Serbia (5.177)87. Bosnia and Herzegovina (5.163)88. Montenegro (5.161)89. Dominican Republic (5.155)90. Morocco (5.151)91. Hungary (5.145)92. Pakistan (5.132)93. Lebanon (5.129)94. Portugal (5.123)95. Macedonia (5.121)96. Vietnam (5.061)97. Somaliland region (5.057)98. Tunisia (5.045)99. Greece (5.033)100. Tajikistan (4.996)101. Mongolia (4.907)102. Laos (4.876)103. Nigeria (4.875)104. Honduras (4.871)105. Iran (4.813)106. Zambia (4.795)









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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8









107. Nepal (4.793)108. Palestinian Territories (4.754)109. Albania (4.655)110. Bangladesh (4.643)111. Sierra Leone (4.635)112. Iraq (4.575)113. Namibia (4.574)114. Cameroon (4.513)115. Ethiopia (4.508)116. South Africa (4.459)117. Sri Lanka (4.415)118. India (4.404)119. Myanmar (4.395)120. Egypt (4.362)121. Armenia (4.360)122. Kenya (4.356)123. Ukraine (4.324)124. Ghana (4.276)125. Congo (Kinshasa) (4.272)126. Georgia (4.252)127. Congo (Brazzaville) (4.236)128. Senegal (4.219)129. Bulgaria (4.217)130. Mauritania (4.201)131. Zimbabwe (4.193)132. Malawi (4.156)133. Sudan (4.139)134. Gabon (4.121)135. Mali (4.073)136. Haiti (4.028)137. Botswana (3.974)138. Comoros (3.956)139. Ivory Coast (3.916)140. Cambodia (3.907)141. Angola (3.866)142. Niger (3.856)143. South Sudan (3.832)144. Chad (3.763)145. Burkina Faso (3.739)146. Uganda (3.739)147. Yemen (3.724)148. Madagascar (3.695)149. Tanzania (3.666)150. Liberia (3.622)151. Guinea (3.607)152. Rwanda (3.515)153. Benin (3.484)154. Afghanistan (3.360)155. Togo (3.303)156. Syria (3.069)157. Burundi (2.905)

The World Happiness Report 2016 Update

To measure changes in the distribution of happiness, we compare the standard deviation of life evaluations using all of the Gallup World Poll data from 2005 to 2011 to the average for the four subsequent survey years, 2012 to 2015. This is done for the world as a whole and 10 global regions and for individual countries.

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Figure 2.5: Ranking of Standard Deviation of Happiness by Country 2012-2015 (Part 1)

Standard deviation 2012–2015 95% confidence interval

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5

1. Bhutan (1.294)2. Comoros (1.385)3. Netherlands (1.397)4. Singapore (1.538)5. Iceland (1.569)6. Luxembourg (1.574)7. Switzerland (1.583)8. Senegal (1.598)9. Afghanistan (1.598)10. Finland (1.598)11. Vietnam (1.599)12. Mauritania (1.600)13. Rwanda (1.601)14. Sweden (1.604)15. Madagascar (1.616)16. Congo (Kinshasa) (1.619)17. Belgium (1.647)18. New Zealand (1.649)19. Azerbaijan (1.649)20. Tajikistan (1.656)21. Myanmar (1.661)22. Denmark (1.674)23. Norway (1.677)24. Israel (1.685)25. Laos (1.696)26. Indonesia (1.702)27. Mongolia (1.705)28. Niger (1.705)29. Canada (1.726)30. Australia (1.756)31. Benin (1.757)32. Guinea (1.794)33. Kyrgyzstan (1.798)34. Ireland (1.801)35. Thailand (1.803)36. Germany (1.805)37. Austria (1.819)38. France (1.845)39. Somaliland region (1.848)40. Lithuania (1.848)41. Moldova (1.850)42. Hong Kong (1.854)43. Chad (1.855)44. Latvia (1.862)45. Turkmenistan (1.874)46. United Kingdom (1.875)47. Algeria (1.877)48. Taiwan (1.878)49. Ethiopia (1.884)50. Japan (1.884)51. Estonia (1.888)52. Spain (1.899)

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0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5

53. Morocco (1.916)54. Belarus (1.930)55. Mali (1.933)56. Poland (1.935)57. Paraguay (1.937)58. Sri Lanka (1.941)59. Slovakia (1.942)60. Suriname (1.948)61. Burkina Faso (1.954)62. Kazakhstan (1.962)63. Ukraine (1.964)64. Mauritius (1.964)65. Bolivia (1.965)66. Czech Republic (1.972)67. Italy (1.973)68. Croatia (1.974)69. Nigeria (1.976)70. Bangladesh (1.980)71. Malta (1.981)72. Georgia (1.986)73. China (1.986)74. Ivory Coast (1.991)75. Uganda (1.992)76. Gabon (2.001)77. United Arab Emirates (2.018)78. Nepal (2.038)79. Kenya (2.041)80. Argentina (2.046)81. Russia (2.048)82. Malaysia (2.052)83. Hungary (2.053)84. Chile (2.060)85. United States (2.066)86. Slovenia (2.077)87. Togo (2.079)88. Zimbabwe (2.084)89. Uzbekistan (2.088)90. India (2.091)91. Bulgaria (2.103)92. Tunisia (2.114)93. Pakistan (2.122)94. Kuwait (2.127)95. South Africa (2.143)96. South Korea (2.155)97. Mexico (2.157)98. Peru (2.157)99. Costa Rica (2.163)100. Trinidad and Tobago (2.163)101. Bahrain (2.176)102. Sudan (2.176)103. Uruguay (2.190)104. Armenia (2.191)105. Qatar (2.204)

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0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5

106. Haiti (2.205)107. Ghana (2.216)108. Burundi (2.216)109. Botswana (2.230)110. Cambodia (2.235)111. Angola (2.238)112. Brazil (2.242)113. Tanzania (2.247)114. Egypt (2.249)115. Serbia (2.254)116. Ecuador (2.256)117. Cameroon (2.262)118. Kosovo (2.265)119. Palestinian Territories (2.266)120. Turkey (2.267)121. Macedonia (2.290)122. Lebanon (2.307)123. Yemen (2.321)124. Bosnia and Herzegovina (2.333)125. Romania (2.335)126. Portugal (2.359)127. Montenegro (2.363)128. Colombia (2.372)129. Greece (2.379)130. North Cyprus (2.385)131. Jordan (2.414)132. Saudi Arabia (2.417)133. Somalia (2.418)134. Panama (2.430)135. El Salvador (2.448)136. Albania (2.452)137. Belize (2.455)138. Cyprus (2.456)139. Libya (2.460)140. Zambia (2.463)141. Puerto Rico (2.475)142. Venezuela (2.481)143. Iran (2.558)144. Syria (2.563)145. Philippines (2.580)146. Nicaragua (2.674)147. Iraq (2.695)148. Congo (Brazzaville) (2.717)149. Guatemala (2.719)150. Namibia (2.725)151. Malawi (2.734)152. Jamaica (2.769)153. Honduras (2.819)154. Dominican Republic (2.874)155. Liberia (3.003)156. Sierra Leone (3.008)157. South Sudan (3.044)


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0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5

Figure 2.7: Changes in Standard Deviation of Happiness from 2005-2011 to 2012-2015 (Part 1)

Changes in standard deviation 95% confidence interval

1. Pakistan (-0.425)2. Iceland (-0.376)3. Malta (-0.232)4. Afghanistan (-0.221)5. Dominican Republic (-0.201)6. Chile (-0.182)7. Paraguay (-0.178)8. Israel (-0.156)9. Azerbaijan (-0.153)10. Puerto Rico (-0.138)11. Comoros (-0.124)12. Lithuania (-0.113)13. Moldova (-0.106)14. Taiwan (-0.096)15. Peru (-0.090)16. Colombia (-0.072)17. Spain (-0.071)18. Mauritania (-0.068)19. Slovenia (-0.060)20. Croatia (-0.053)21. Japan (-0.052)22. Congo (Kinshasa) (-0.046)23. Luxembourg (-0.045)24. Nicaragua (-0.043)25. New Zealand (-0.043)26. Poland (-0.042)27. Hong Kong (-0.041)28. Mexico (-0.037)29. Germany (-0.034)30. Lebanon (-0.031)31. Botswana (-0.030)32. Argentina (-0.025)33. Somaliland region (-0.024)34. Ukraine (-0.023)35. Brazil (-0.020)36. Switzerland (-0.017)37. Hungary (-0.015)38. Sweden (-0.014)39. Ireland (-0.001)40. Rwanda (0.001)41. Palestinian Territories (0.004)42. United Kingdom (0.004)43. Mauritius (0.007)44. South Korea (0.011)45. Turkey (0.013)46. Slovakia (0.017)47. Canada (0.017)48. Trinidad and Tobago (0.019)49. Czech Republic (0.020)50. Mongolia (0.024)

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51. Angola (0.025)52. Russia (0.029)53. Norway (0.030)54. Italy (0.034)55. Ecuador (0.034)56. Egypt (0.035)57. Thailand (0.043)58. Singapore (0.050)59. Australia (0.052)60. Austria (0.053)61. Gabon (0.057)62. Georgia (0.059)63. Guinea (0.059)64. Uruguay (0.059)65. Senegal (0.061)66. Yemen (0.064)67. Finland (0.070)68. Belarus (0.072)69. Latvia (0.076)70. France (0.080)71. Indonesia (0.089)72. Benin (0.093)73. Bolivia (0.094)74. Belgium (0.095)75. Costa Rica (0.096)76. Estonia (0.099)77. Macedonia (0.107)78. El Salvador (0.111)79. Turkmenistan (0.111)80. Honduras (0.112)81. Romania (0.113)82. China (0.119)83. Netherlands (0.122)84. Sri Lanka (0.127)85. Bulgaria (0.134)86. Vietnam (0.135)87. Tajikistan (0.136)88. United States (0.142)89. Kazakhstan (0.145)90. United Arab Emirates (0.148)91. Zimbabwe (0.148)92. Greece (0.155)93. Bangladesh (0.159)94. Bahrain (0.167)95. Serbia (0.168)96. Nigeria (0.177)97. South Africa (0.181)98. Bosnia and Herzegovina (0.185)99. Uganda (0.186)100. Venezuela (0.188)

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5




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0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5

101. Armenia (0.192)102. Denmark (0.193)103. Kyrgyzstan (0.195)104. Ghana (0.198)105. Madagascar (0.198)106. Algeria (0.226)107. Panama (0.230)108. India (0.231)109. Montenegro (0.254)110. Niger (0.256)111. Portugal (0.257)112. Togo (0.259)113. Jordan (0.271)114. Qatar (0.273)115. Uzbekistan (0.277)116. Chad (0.287)117. Kosovo (0.288)118. Mali (0.291)119. Cyprus (0.311)120. Philippines (0.324)121. Syria (0.326)122. Nepal (0.347)123. Morocco (0.359)124. Iran (0.370)125. Sudan (0.377)126. Haiti (0.393)127. Tunisia (0.401)128. Tanzania (0.409)129. Belize (0.415)130. Malawi (0.429)131. Malaysia (0.430)132. Kenya (0.436)133. Guatemala (0.438)134. Saudi Arabia (0.447)135. Burkina Faso (0.451)136. Cameroon (0.466)137. Ivory Coast (0.510)138. Albania (0.550)139. Kuwait (0.577)140. Zambia (0.580)141. Jamaica (0.600)142. Burundi (0.616)143. Laos (0.635)144. Congo (Brazzaville) (0.709)145. Cambodia (0.791)146. Sierra Leone (0.913)147. Iraq (0.963)148. Namibia (1.218)149. Liberia (1.341)



Comparing surveys from 2005-2011 to 2012-2015, the researchers found that well-being inequality has increased worldwide.

For the world as a whole, our population-weighted estimates show inequality of well-being growing significantly from 2005-2011 to 2012-2015, by an amount equaling about 5 percent of the estimated 2005-2011 standard deviation.

The Latin American and Caribbean region shows an insignificantly small reduction in inequality, and Central and Eastern Europe an insignificantly small increase. All of the other regions show significant increases in well-being inequality.

The two regions with the sharpest increases in inequality are the Middle East and North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. The biggest relative in-crease in well-being inequality was in sub-Saharan Africa, where it grew by 15 percent of its 2005-2011 level. The corresponding increase was 13 percent in the Middle East & North Africa.

More than half of the countries surveyed saw spikes in happiness inequality over that period, particularly those in the Middle East, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Meanwhile, fewer than one in ten countries saw their happiness inequality decrease. Over that time period, happiness inequality in the US has gone up while happiness itself has declined.

1.Latin America & Caribbean -0.004

2.Central and Eastern Europe (0.027)3.Western Europe (0.059)

4.East Asia (0.064)5.The Common Wealth of Independent States (0.098)

7.Northern America & ANZ (0.125)8.South Asia (0.152)

9.Southeast Asia (0.199)10.Sub-Saharan Africa (0.272)

11.Middle East & North Africa (0.290)

6.World (0.123)

1110987654321

95% Confidence Interval

8.South Asia (0.152)9.Southeast Asia (0.199)

10.Sub-Saharan Africa (0.272)11.Middle East & North Africa (0.290)

6.World (0.123)

According to NewsRx editors, the study indicates that short-term increases in inequality decrease life satisfaction, but long-run levels of inequality do not.

We can see that perceptions of above-average inequality are damaging to life satisfaction, but long-run levels of inequality are not.

We may find ambiguous effects of inequality on life satisfaction because people get used to long-run inequality, so that short-run increases in inequality, rather than long-run levels of inequality, make people unsatisfied with life.”

“This may explain why populations of countries with persistently high inequality are as satisfied with life as populations of more equal countries, even though the same individual is less satisfied with life in those years where in-equality is above-average.”

The good news is that promoting happiness equality doesn’t require taking happiness from some people and giving it to others.

Instead, building a society and a culture that cares about individual well-being, not just economic growth.

REFERENCES

1. Helliwell, John. Layard, Richard. Sachs, Jeffrey. “World Happiness Report Update 2016”. The Earth Institute Columbia University, Centre for economic performance, Sustainable Develop-ment Solutions Netwok, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.<http://worldhappiness.re-port/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/03/HR-V1_web.pdf>

2. M. Leyden Kevin, Goldberg Abraham, and Michelbach Philip. “ Understanding the Pursuit of Happiness in Ten Major Cities.” Urban Affairs Review 47(6) 861–888. 2011 Reprints and permis-sion: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav -DOI: 10.1177/1078087411403120 -http://uar.sage-pub.com

3. Max Roser (2016) – “Happiness and Life Satisfaction”. Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Re- trieved from: https://ourworldindata.org/happiness-and-life-satisfaction/ [Online Re-source]

4. M. Schroder; Findings from University of Marburg in the Area of Social Science Reported (How Income Inequality Influences Life Satisfaction: Hybrid Effects Evidence from the German SOEP) 2016. Germany.

Presentation: Ad Achkar

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